


Should Be Obvious

by Kira_Dattei



Series: Moments Between Missions [7]
Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Crew as Family, Established Relationship, Figuring Things Out, Liara T'Soni is a good friend, M/M, Shore Leave
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-08
Updated: 2017-11-08
Packaged: 2019-01-31 02:08:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12666117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kira_Dattei/pseuds/Kira_Dattei
Summary: Sometimes Shepard needs his friends to point things out to him. What can he say? This whole being in a relationship thing wasn't a regular thing for him.





	Should Be Obvious

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoy.

“So, this will be the first time Kaidan has been to the apartment since you two became romantically involved again, right?” Liara asked Shepard from where she was looking through the fridge.

“First time he’s been to the apartment,” Shepard corrected from where he was sitting on one of the stools at the island. Liara had about half of his attention as he was only looking over the latest list of requisition orders, figuring out the stops he’d have to make tomorrow to sign off on deliveries. Most people he dealt with were getting picky about stuff like that as more resources were being pooled into the Crucible. “I’m not sure he knows how to actually spend shore leave without about a dozen stops he has to make.”

He ignored the feel of Liara’s eyes on him. But then she walked to him and pulled the datapad out of his hands. “You’re looking at requisition orders now instead of before we docked and will spend most of tomorrow running around for supplies.”

He reached out and grabbed the datapad back with a grin. “Before we docked, I was filing reports for the last two missions. I got a little behind.”

“I’m still referencing a phrase Kaidan told me about, the one concerning a pot and kettle.”

Shepard rolled his eyes and leaned back a little, remembering just before he overbalanced that he was in a stool that didn’t have a back to lean against. He was still getting used to this place and he was tired.

“Why didn’t he come with you straight from the Normandy?” Liara asked, not giving him the chance to give a retort.

“Check-up at Huerta.” Liara’s gaze, which had wandered back to searching his kitchen, returned to him and he felt the concern. “It’s always his first stop when we dock; Chakwas makes sure of that. She tells Michel when we’re here and Michel messages Kaidan to stop by so she can check his implant. She loves him for his L2,” he finished with a grin, getting a smile from Liara in return.

“I won’t complain about him getting regular check-ups. He’s never been neglectful about them since I’ve known him, but I think he takes the minimalist approach, especially considering the faulty nature of the L2.”

“Apparently, he has his omnitool set to track vitals and he logs headaches and what triggers them. It forwards to Chakwas and keeps her from tracking him down as often.” Kaidan had told him about that a few weeks ago when he noticed the biotic dealing with a headache and he’d suggested talking to Chakwas.

Shepard had never really gotten a handle on Kaidan’s headaches. He knew they were set off the easiest by overuse of his biotics or an overexposure to loud sounds and bright lights, but he didn’t know at what point for each of those was too much. He was figuring out the signs of Kaidan dealing with a headache, but he was still greatly in the dark about his partner’s chronic pain and how he handled it. And it was something he wanted to learn, to be someone Kaidan could rely on when he was at his worst. Shepard had his own aches and pains that he dealt with so he had growing understanding of what Kaidan had lived with for a majority of his life. But Kaidan dismissed it whenever he brought it up, telling him he didn’t need to worry about it since Kaidan had it handled. He hadn’t found the way to phrase the subject that would get it through Kaidan’s head that it wasn’t an imposition but something he wanted to know because he cared about the guy.

“I’d bet he became a field medic so he would have a basis of knowledge to get away with putting that together and have it be accepted by doctors,” Liara stated, still smirking. She got way too much amusement from how Kaidan dealt with things.

To be fair, she was probably the crew member he was closest to – one of the few Kaidan had kept semi-regular contact with between the SR-1’s destruction and reuniting on Mars – and so they did spend a lot of time together. They were amusing to watch interact as their shorthand method of conversation was designed to confuse people. Or so James and Garrus claimed.

“I nominate you to ask him. If I ask, he’ll think I’m making fun of him. You ask and he might actually give you a real answer.”

“I make no guarantees his answer to me will be any less sarcastic. But, really, Shepard? You have Kaidan Alenko, who Cortez half-seriously claims is responsible for a third of our sustenance requests, coming over for the night and you could barely feed yourself with the amount of food you have here.”

Shepard felt his ears heat up a little at that. He figured she’d call him out on that eventually, but it still didn’t make him look all that great to come to an apartment lacking in basic supplies. Hell, the only reason the bed was made was because he’d fallen asleep on a couch the last time he stayed here. He didn’t plan on that, it just happened.

“I asked him and he said Michel always fills him up with protein packs at the appointments so he can use his biotics with plenty of calories to burn. Apparently, it ruins any appetite for the rest of the day. And we were planning on going somewhere for breakfast before he helped me out with running errands.”

“We’re here for three days. What about after breakfast?”

Shepard shrugged. “We hadn’t worked that far out. Like I said, he keeps busy and he mentioned meetings he had set for the afternoon so I didn’t bother checking for after that. And I’m not spending much time here with all the follow-up I need to do with people all over the Citadel.”

Liara looked at him in a way that made him feel like she was disappointed and angry with him. “You haven’t done this very much, have you?”

He crossed his arms then, trying to not feel so chastised. “Done what?”

She mirrored his pose and, somehow, he felt like her disbelieving look was better than any expression he could muster. Maybe he should just send her to deal with the next fanatics they ran into. Then again, she was as likely to just shoot them as to spend any time talking sense into them.

“Date. You know, what you and Kaidan are doing.”

“Not lately. I’ve been kinda busy with some important things like the Reapers, the Collectors, Saren, and there was that span of time where I was sort of dead. Navigating the dating scene hasn’t been that big of a priority.”

And now there was a coy expression being send his way that he was probably never going to get used to seeing from Liara. She’d changed so much from that shy, somewhat naïve, archaeologist she’d been when they met.

“You two have been figuring out your relationship for nearly three years. You’d think you would have worked something so simple out by now.” Her expression became much more serious, not intense in a bad way, just telling him that she really meant what she was about to say. “I guarantee you that all he wants is to be with you. Make the offer to spend all of shore leave with you.”

“I thought about it, but figured a few days might be a little much to jump into.”

“Would you mind having Kaidan around your place for the next three days?”

He took an extra unnecessary moment to think about his answer: unnecessary because his first instinct response wasn’t any different from his answer once he thought it over. “No.”

“Then don’t you think he may feel the same? And because you two are just too much of a good match, he probably didn’t ask because he didn’t want to impose.”

The two of them really _were_ well-matched in their awkwardness with anything outside of their positions’ responsibilities.

Shepard ran his hands over his head, scratching a little against the short hair for the slight relaxation it gave him. “You’d think we’d be better about this. I mean, we’re good about talking to each other so why am I needing suggestions from my friends?”

Liara stepped forward and reached across the island to pat his arm. “We’re all good friends to both you and Kaidan. We want to see it work out for you guys, despite how often James, Garrus, and Joker tease you about it. So, we’re here to give you some outside perspective and remind you of the things you guys aren’t great about saying to each other.” She must have seen him preparing his response to that, so she kept going. “I’m not implying you two don’t talk. I know you are as good about communication as you think you are. But there are obviously some lines that you guys are still figuring out can be crossed now. I figured that out a while ago from what Kaidan tells me.”

Shepard was equal parts curious and suspicious. “What does he say?”

Liara reached out and patted him on the arm again, the action much more patronizing this time around. “Nothing I’ll be repeating to you.”

Shepard was sure she said that just because she read his expression and wanted to make him squirm about it. She could be as bad as Garrus.

The door buzzed and Shepard kept his suspicious look on Liara for a few steps after he stood and walked away from the island toward the door. He checked the video quickly, never assuming who it would be that showed up at his door. Garrus and James had started making a habit of just showing up once they’d been there once.

Apparently, this was one of those times for Garrus as he was giving the camera a nonchalant wave and Shepard rolled his eyes as he palmed the door open and stepped to the side.

“Hey, Shepard. I heard Liara was over so I decided I had nowhere better to be than in her magnificent company,” Garrus announced as he stepped in.

Shepard had to have been really distracted to not notice that Kaidan had been behind Garrus outside, the biotic a few steps behind the turian with his arms crossed and a bemused expression on his face.

“Ran into him on my way from Huerta. Unsurprisingly, he thinks knowing where I’m going is reason enough to just follow me around.”

Shepard grinned at Kaidan’s tone, picking up the hint of irritation there; he’d probably already spent the trip over trying to talk Garrus out of coming with him, which was probably why the turian was here instead of parting ways.

“Yeah, he needs some lessons in basic manners.”

Kaidan stepped into the apartment and the door slid closed behind him as he moved towards Shepard. Not even hesitating in the least, Shepard reached out for Kaidan, his hands going to the man’s waist as they stepped close enough to press their lips together, Kaidan’s hands coming up to hold onto Shepard’s shoulders.

Knowing that the audience they had wouldn’t let them forget it if they got too wrapped up in the kiss, Shepard kept it short, just a firm press of the lips without any hint of deepening it no matter how much he wanted to. Kaidan gave him a smile as he pulled back, likely knowing exactly why he’d kept it short.

He looked around what he could see of the apartment, taking in the couches in front of the fireplace, what he could see of the kitchen, the bar just visible across from the door, and the balcony above them. His gaze paused a bit on the windows, the shades open as Shepard preferred them when he was here, looking out across the lights of the Citadel. Shepard figured Kaidan would like the view; the biotic had an appreciation for nice views, having grown up in both rural and urban areas and had come to like aspects of both scenes.

“I’ll show you around when Liara and Garrus leave. It just doesn’t seem smart to leave them alone so they can figure out ways to tease us that they can follow through with immediately,” Shepard said as Kaidan walked toward where Garrus was leaning against the island acting like he wasn’t listening in. As Kaidan slid into the stool Shepard had been sitting in, he let out a chuckle.

“Smart move,” Kaidan responded, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the counter. Garrus was grinning over at the biotic and Liara had set down a glass of water in front of him.

Shepard stepped up next to Kaidan, close enough to feel the heat of his body. He only hesitated for about a second before he slung his arm around Kaidan’s shoulders. He saw Liara give them a kind smile and he watched her step away to lean against the counter as a way of ignoring Garrus, just in case his friend took the “asshole” route in response to his show of affection.

And he wasn’t opposed to either of them being there – Kaidan obviously wasn’t either based on how relaxed he was – so unless they gave him a reason to kick them out, he figured they could enjoy some time hanging out. It could be just like days between missions on the SR-1 where they, along with Tali, Wrex, and Ashley before Virmire would just be in the same room and get familiar with each other. If Shepard didn’t know Tali already had meetings set for the rest of the evening, he’d be messaging her to join them.

Liara appeared to be thinking along the same lines as she turned her attention to Kaidan and asked, “How was the check-up, Kaidan?”

Kaidan glanced over his shoulder to Shepard, likely making sure he’d been the one to tell her what he’d been up to, so he just shrugged back to show he didn’t see that there’d been a problem with doing so. There was no such thing as secrets with this crew and the roll of dark eyes as Kaidan looked back to Liara showed he did know this. “No problems. My implant and amp are in good shape and shouldn’t need any maintenance for another few months, even with the amount of use they’re getting.”

“So, Michel just loves you for your L2?” Garrus asked and Kaidan’s eyes rolled again but he was smirking.

“Of course. There’s a lot to love about an active, functioning L2. Where else is she going to get such a wonderful guinea pig for all her mostly untested treatments?”

Shepard just wished there was a little more joking to that statement. He wasn’t a fan of how excited Michel was to experiment with treatments just because he was an L2. Kaidan had told him once that it wasn’t the wrong approach for Michel to make. L2s got different attention for a reason and it was actually a point in her favor, in Kaidan’s opinion, that she recognized that so well.

He’d finished up the explanation by saying Shepard should work on not letting his over-protective habits influence his bias against someone who was genuinely trying to improve Kaidan’s quality of life.

That reasonably accurate – and harsh – statement made within days of them getting together had got through to Shepard more than the explanation and Shepard had been just that little bit more fond of Kaidan for knowing him well enough to say something like that.

“At least she appears to know what she’s doing. I remember you saying that you’d had trouble finding a good doctor while stationed on Earth,” Shepard said a bit curtly.

“You know why, don’t you?” Garrus cut in before Kaidan could respond. “We both visited him plenty of times while he was laid up. He’s not actually a good patient and most of the staff who dealt with him had the same thing to say about him.”

Shepard grinned as he recalled the mutterings he’d overheard from some of the nurses on his many visits to the Major. “They couldn’t figure out how such a polite man could be so irritating about doing what he was told,” Shepard mused.

“Always causing a ruckus with all the high-profile visitors stopping by.”

“Messing with his monitoring equipment so they wouldn’t know when he’d be getting up before he was cleared.”

“Hacking the machine which controlled his dosage and decreasing his medications without asking or telling the nurses.”

“Taking advantage of all those errand boys working for Udina by having them bring him datapads before he was okayed to be looking at screens for prolonged periods of time.”

“Figuring out where the nurses hid the datapads and then just getting them back biotically before he was supposed to be using his biotics.”

Liara was laughing now and while Kaidan wasn’t mad about Garrus and Shepard’s tag-team listing of all that the hospital staff’s complaints concerning him, he was giving Garrus an even look that said his revenge was going to be worth witnessing. Revenge against Shepard would likely be saved for when it was just the two of them: Kaidan was damn good at getting Shepard worked up and then just leaving him hot and bothered. The amount of mental discipline Kaidan had as a biotic meant he could cool off a lot easier than Shepard could.

“It’s not like I haven’t been dealing with my own health for my entire life. I know when doctors are playing it safe.” Kaidan’s expression flattened so there was no emotion discernable, “But I guess being a qualified field medic doesn’t count for much anymore. Pity, I thought it was convenient to have that around when you catch shrapnel and need someone to keep you from bleeding out.” That had been three missions ago and Garrus had been insufferable as it had hit him in the shoulder and had guaranteed he’d be out for the next mission. “Well, I’ll just tell Chakwas that, according to you, I’m not intelligent enough to fix you up.”

Garrus, knowing Kaidan as well as he did, suddenly looked suspicious while Liara looked absolutely enthralled by the threat. They both knew that – as long as the injury wasn’t life-threatening – next time Garrus got hurt on a mission, he might not get patched up until he got back to the Normandy. And Kaidan’s memory about this sort of thing was a bit better than Garrus’ so the turian might actually forget that he brought it on himself.

“Come on, Kaidan. You know we’re just messing around. And, hey, what did those nurses know?” Garrus rambled, trying to find the right thing to say to get Kaidan to change his mind.

Kaidan lifted an eyebrow at Garrus and his façade broke just a little. “You know, for someone with significant burn scars on his face, you seem pretty uneasy about dealing with a cut for a while.”

“And you seem way too enthusiastic about letting me be injured for a medic.”

“Field medic,” Liara corrected, her laughter barely restrained.

“Therefore, soldier first.”

“Oh, come on, Alenko! There’s gotta be some rules you’re breaking here!”

Yup, just like those days on the SR-1, those days in between Saren and Sovereign that made them the best crew in the universe.

* * *

“You think I led Garrus on a little too much?” Kaidan asked from his spot at the island where he’d been pretty much since he got there as Shepard cleaned up the kitchen.

Garrus had gone through everything at some point, looking for dextro-based food he could pillage – knowing Shepard tended to have some on hand because of regularly having a turian and quarian over - and Shepard had happily admitted he made sure it was gone so Garrus couldn’t take it. The turian had countered by looking anyway and leaving as much of a mess as he could manage.

After nearly three hours of the four of them shooting the shit, Liara had told Garrus it was time to leave and had escorted him from the apartment. It had been time well-spent, Shepard feeling relaxed and content in the way that he could only be after some quality time of just being himself with his friends. Kaidan looked just as relaxed so Shepard figured he’d gotten plenty out of the time as well.

“Not at all,” Shepard answered. “You know Garrus has pretty much always done something to deserve being messed with. And he so rarely believes you like he did today.”

Kaidan gave him a smirk, Shepard taking a second to appreciate how it was a different sort of attractive when the biotic was allowing himself to joke around. The confidence and humor blended together to make the man seem younger in the best way.

“Fair point. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen him that gullible. And it’s not like he ever just indulges anyone besides James with things like that so I doubt that was the case,” Kaidan responded as he stood and rotated out his shoulders a bit from sitting in the same position for so long. As often as he’d pick a spot and stay there for hours on end – habit started more from his time as an Intel officer rather than BAaT – it wasn’t something his fit body was as accustomed to anymore and Shepard had noticed him working from a datapad so he could move around more often these days.

“Everyone has an off day?” Shepard suggested as he came around the corner from the kitchen and took an appreciative look over the curve of Kaidan’s back and ass. He kept himself from doing anything like that when they were working so it was nice to not have to control the urge to look.

“I guess. And as much material as he’s accumulated to use against us, it’s a nice change to have something we’re not letting go anytime soon.”

“Yeah, who would’ve guessed us being together would give him new material to work with?” Shepard pulled his gaze from Kaidan’s ass and looked up to see dark eyes on him, giving him an amused look.

“Looks like that are probably a good clue as to where he’s getting his ideas. At least Liara’s tasteful with her comments.” Shepard laughed at that, pleased that Kaidan didn’t seem to mind the appraisal at all, his cheeks only a touch darker but he was definitely not opposed to Shepard’s show of attraction.

“What can I say? I just happen to have this hot-as-hell boyfriend with a great body and even better ass.”

At that, Kaidan rolled his eyes as he turned, stepping a little further away from Shepard so he could lean his back against the wall. “Just great. I’ve got a doctor obsessed with my implants and a commander obsessed with my ass. How did it come to this?”

Shepard grinned, moving toward to Kaidan until he was standing right in front of the biotic, dark eyes looking up the small difference of height between them. Shepard placed his hands on either side of Kaidan’s head, boxing him in, and leaned forward and brushed his lips against Kaidan’s. It was just a quick touch before he pulled away enough to get a good look of Kaidan’s face.

“Lucky for you I’m obsessed with everything about you. The great ass is just a bonus.” Shepard was pleased to see Kaidan’s cheeks flush a little again as he started to move away. He let his right hand move from the wall to Kaidan’s shoulder, then trailed down the firm chest and stomach, then changed direction to follow the line of Kaidan’s waist around to his back and finally reaching down to take a shameless grope. He moved away from Kaidan then, grinning as he turned to face the apartment. “Well, I told you I’d show you around.”

There was a few seconds’ pause before Shepard heard Kaidan let out a sigh and mutter “Asshole,” before the rustling of his clothes told Shepard he’d followed.

Kaidan didn’t stay quiet as Shepard showed him around, so Shepard at least knew he wasn’t plotting against him. The biotic offered commentary for each of the rooms, mostly alluding to how he hadn’t expected Anderson to be such a creature of comfort. And Shepard was happy and mildly impressed when Kaidan would comment on something the Commander had added to the apartment without being told it’d been him. When Shepard asked how he figured out what had been his, Kaidan just smiled and said Shepard had a distinct touch.

They’d made their way back downstairs, Kaidan moving towards the window and looking out over the tall buildings surrounding the apartment. Shepard stayed a few feet away, watching the biotic as he seemed to be deep in thought, but there was also a feel of content apparent in the relaxed set of his shoulders.

It reminded him of that first day Kaidan was back on the Normandy and Shepard had found him in the Starboard Observation Deck just looking out the window at the stars. It had become a familiar sight as Kaidan settled in and favored the room for its design being kind to his light and sound sensitivity. And Kaidan deep in thought was never unusual; he was always thinking. But the setting beyond Kaidan – signs of life instead of darkness with only hints of more – somehow made all the difference to Shepard. It seemed much more private, like something he’d had the privilege to see.

It was all so homely, so domestic.

Not something Shepard was used to seeing, especially from his workaholic Major. It was a good look for Kaidan, one he could get used to along with everything else about his lover.

“All things considered, I bet Anderson paid for the view,” Kaidan suddenly said, joking only enough to cover the more somber touch of emotion.

Shepard stepped up behind Kaidan, reaching out to place his hand on the back of Kaidan’s neck once he was close enough, then moved to stand at the biotic’s side and he smiled a little as he felt the warm body relax a bit into him. “It’s a damn good view, I’ll give it that.”

“I’ve seen a lot of places and I haven’t seen another like it.” Kaidan’s lips lifted slightly, still mostly caught up in his own thoughts. “That’s always amazed me, that there are so many places that are one of a kind, even with so many races and inhabited planets. It’s nice to know that we are far from the only ones that show diversity.”

Shepard was reminded of something Kaidan had said years ago, “Just another way that shows how ‘human’ other species are?”

Kaidan’s head lowered for a second as he gave another one of his barely-there smiles, then he looked back out the window. “Yeah, something along those lines.”

The biotic took in a deep breath and the mood seemed to pass. That was further proven when he turned toward Shepard, some of the reflective emotion still present in his eyes but it was greatly overshadowed by the affectionate glint. His body turned to line up with Shepard’s, though he kept some distance between them, his hands reaching for Shepard’s hips and Shepard’s other hand raised to rest on Kaidan’s shoulder, the other still holding a secure grip on the other man’s neck.

“In keeping with the theme of overwhelming sentimentality we’ve got going on, do you know how much I love that you remembered me saying that?” There was a bit of a teasing tinge to the question, but it was an honest admission.

Shepard had plenty of options about what he could say in response: Kaidan telling him about Vyrnnus was one of the most impactful discussions he’d had with the biotic back then. It was around that particular discussion that Shepard had realized that what he felt toward the biotic was more than just lusting after a hot guy when it’d been a while since he’d had sex.

Shepard smiled as he leaned his head forward, keeping his body apart to leave that move up to Kaidan. He did rest his forehead against Kaidan’s though, the contact quickly becoming a familiar touch between them. He liked the tickle of Kaidan’s soft hair against his forehead, the occasional feel of the air buzz around him as Kaidan’s biotics let off excess charge, Kaidan’s scent filling his lungs while all he could really see were the shade of brown eyes that were quickly becoming a favorite color, and feeling the heat of Kaidan’s body and his breath on Shepard’s skin to prove he was alive and with him now.

Holy shit, there _was_ a theme of overwhelming sentimentality going on.

Shepard was…okay with that. What was wrong with having someone you didn’t have to pretend you didn’t have a soft side with? Wasn’t that what relationships were supposed to be about: having someone love you for all that you are? It wasn’t like he was less of Commander Shepard or Kaidan was any less Major Alenko because of it.

“I was hoping for some points in my favor. I did take Garrus’ side for just a bit earlier tonight.”

Kaidan breathed out a laugh as he stepped forward to close the distance between them, their bodies pressing against each other in the best way. “You’re heading in the right direction, then.”

Kaidan stepped forward again and Shepard mirrored the motion, moving toward one of the couches. “Good, cuz I really like where this is going.” His knees hit the arm of the couch and he angled his head to _finally_ give Kaidan a good, hard kiss like he’d been wanting to do since he walked in the door. He lowered himself in a controlled descent, taking Kaidan with him until he sat on the arm of the couch. Kaidan pulled away from the kiss, but moved his hand to Shepard’s chest to push him backwards to fall onto his back on the couch, Kaidan controlling his own fall as he followed. And once they were horizontal with Kaidan’s weight resting on him, Shepard pulled him back in and picked up the kiss where they left off.

Well, the couch hadn’t been his first plan for Kaidan’s proper introduction to the apartment, but he wasn’t complaining. And, even if they start here, they might still make it to a bed. He’d just have to just wait and see.

And enjoy.

**Author's Note:**

> Headcanon discovered from writing this one (because apparently that's becoming a thing when I just let myself write without a grand plot to keep to): Kaidan would absolutely be a horrible patient, especially for long-term care. He'd be pleasant enough to talk to, but he'd ultimately drive them crazy.  
> Still got a few of these in the queue and will be getting them up in good time. Thank you for reading!


End file.
